


Mini Marvels

by merelypassingtime



Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Crack, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, M/M, Randomness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-19 06:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15504195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merelypassingtime/pseuds/merelypassingtime
Summary: A collection of the tiny Marvel ficlets I've posted on Tumblr.No rhyme or reason, just randomness.





	1. Happy to Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky disappears, Steve finds him in the last place you’d look.

Steve, looking through a rack of tee shirts at Walmart: Mmm.. Almost, but I think I need a smaller size, one that’ll really hug my biceps. Excuse me sir, can you check your stock for me?

Employee turns around, revealing himself to be Bucky: Of course! I am happy to help!

Steve: Bucky!? Where the hell have you been? We’ve been looking for you for weeks.

Bucky: I’ve been here working.

Steve: This whole time?!

Bucky: No, every four and a half hours I get a half hour lunch.

Steve: I’m taking you home right now!

Bucky: But I am home!

Steve: What?

Bucky: Walmart is my home, Steve. Look, they even let us wear blue jeans now...

Steve: Bucky, this is crazy.

Steve notices that while they’ve been talking he has been surrounded by people in blue vests

Steve: Bucky? What’s going on?

Bucky, staring at Steve with vacant, dead eyes: Join us, Steve… There are no expectations or pressure at Walmart. You never have to put forth any effort here.

Steve: Please, no! I can’t end like this!

Bucky: Hush, Steve… Just listen to the Walmart Cheer.

Steve screams in terror and crumples to the floor as the blue vests around he start chanting, “One of Us. One of Us. One of Us.”  
When he stands again, he has a vest too.

Steve: Welcome to Walmart, where you can save money and live better. How may I help you?


	2. That’s Not My Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries memeing Friday. Karen eggs him on.

Peter: Karen, I’m not sure I wanna do this.

Karen: Go on, it’ll be funny.

Peter: But it’s kinda mean. What if she doesn’t get it?

Karen; Then that would be even more funny.

Peter: But-

Karen: Oh come on, Friday can Google stuff faster than you can imagine. She’ll probably laugh too.

Peter: Okay…

(Swings in though a permanently open window in the top of Stark Tower)

Friday: Welcome home, Peter.

Peter: Thanks. It sure was a hard day out there of fighting crimes!

Friday: Sorry to hear that, do you need Tony’s assistance?

Peter: No, no! Er, I am just so sad. Alexa, play Despacito.

(long pause)

(Karen giggles madly)

Peter, nervously: Um…

Friday: Sorry, Flash. I can’t seem to find that song. But here is That’s Not My Name by The Ting Tings.


	3. Death Comes on Silent Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Tony and Stephen have been forced to live with the threat of constant attack, they have heightened awareness, and a strong startle reflex. That is to say, I think they’d both shriek like little girls if a moth got into their house.

Happy ran into the house, gun drawn, and surveyed the damage to the room while looking for the enemy.

“Tony? Stephen? Where are you?”

From farther into the room he heard Tony’s voice. “We’re here, Happy.”

Rounding the furniture, Happy asked “Are you two okay? What’s the threat?” He didn’t expect to find the two men sitting calmly leaned against the overturned sofa.

He also didn’t expect Tony to grin at him sheepishly. “Hi Happy,” he said, with a little wave.

“Boss, what’s going on? It looks like a war zone in here.

“Ah, well…” Tony said, looking even more sheepish.

Next to him, Stephen cleared his throat, looking just as embarrassed. “There was a moth.”

“A moth?” Happy asked, stunned.

Tony agreed, “Yeah.”

“Like a normal moth?”

“No!” Stephen said hotly. “In our own defence it was a huge moth. Definitely bigger than a golf ball. Maybe even the size of a racquetball.”

Tony nodded, “Like Mothra sized.”

“It was gonna carry us away in our sleep to feed it’s larva.”

Dryly, Happy said, “Well, then thank God you killed it.”

“Ah,” Tony said. “Well, that’s the thing, see-”

Stephen finished for him, “We didn’t.”

“You didn’t what?”

“We didn’t kill it.”

Happy blinked, then glared at the two men in front of him. “You mean to tell me that two of Earth’s greatest superheroes couldn’t kill an ordinary moth?”

“Not as such, no,” Stephen admitted.

Tony added, “Actually, that’s why we called you over…”


	4. The Best Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you ship Strange and Wong you can call it Benedict Squared or StrangelyWong.

The party had been going on for hours before Strange left the side of his date and Tony finally saw his chance.

Sliding up to stand next to the silent man, he offered one of the champagne flutes he held.

Wong ignored him, continuing what seemed to be a serious study of the room.

“Looking for assassins or just overdue library books?” Tony asked with his most winning smile.

When once again Wong didn’t react, Tony cleared his throat and tried, “So, nice turn out for the party.”

When a bare shrug was Wong’s only reponse, Tony decided small talk was a waste of time so he cut to the chase, “You and Strange are dating now, then?”

Wong nodded, still not bothering to look at Tony.

“I just wondered what in the world do you see in him? I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s nice to look at, but he is such an arrogant prick too.”

Wong turned, meeting his eyes for the first time. Tony almost took a step back from the force of his glaze, only pride keeping him rooted to the spot. Wong didn’t blink for a few seconds that felt like a few eternities, then he said, his face still as grave as if he were announcing the death of a dear friend, “He makes me laugh.”


	5. Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glad to have this bit of darkness out of my mind, but sorry to force it on all of you. Trigger warning for character death.

Tony knew he was dying, had known he was going to even before he put on the gantlet to bring everyone home. If he were honest he had been aware of his own imminent death since he had awaken in a cave surrounded by his enemies all those years ago. At least he had made his last few years count, a partial atonement for all the failures of his life.

In a way it hurt less then he had thought it would; the pain was already fading away as the blackness slowly began to eclipse his vision.

In a different way it hurt more, as at the center of his remaining view was the bruised, dirt-streaked face of Peter Parker.

“Come on, Mr Stark,” Peter pleaded. “We’re all back, everything’s fine now. Get up.”

“No, this was always the plan, kid. It’s what needed to happen to get you back.”

“No! You can’t go. You can’t leave me.”

“I want to go. I want this.”

Tony could see the tears falling from Peter’s eyes, but he couldn’t feel them hitting his own face as Peter choked back a sob and said, “Thank you for saving me.”

“It was an honor getting to know you, Peter. Please, don’t waste your life, like I did.” Mustering up the last of his energy, he squeezed Peter’s arm and added, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mr Stark,” Peter answered, no longer bothering to stifle his crying.

As the last of his sight greyed out, Tony took the picture of Peter with him into the blackness. He was so painfully young, even younger than Tony had been when his parents died, and Peter was so much more, well, not innocent and naive exactly, but trusting and credulous than Tony could ever remember being. Tony’s mind flicked through a gallery of all the people who had taken advantage of him, playing the role of surrogate parent while using him to further their own ends.

He couldn’t let that happen to Peter. He had to protect him from the pain of finding out how cruel the world could be to the gifted and different.

Tony took a shuddering breath, feeling it burn in his lungs like plasma fumes. Still, he took another, and a another, even as the pain returned searing him from the outside as well. 

It didn't matter, pain was an old friend. Besides, with it came the sight of Peter, hope dawning over his feature like the most glorious sunrise ever. That was the only thing that could matter.

Tony had learned the hard way that there was much in the universe worth dying for, but it was only now that he had found something worth living for.


	6. Mugged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IronDad fluff. Short and sweet.

“Peter is here,” Friday said, breaking into Tony’s concentration. “I’m letting him in.” 

Tony looked up from his schematic just as the door opened and he smiled at the lanky teenage walking in. “Oh hey, kid. Whatcha doing here? I thought you had Academic Decathlon on Sundays. Or is that over for the summer?”

“Hi Mr Stark,” Peter said. He looked upset about something and Tony felt himself go on red alert even as the boy continued. “Yeah, the decathlon’s over for the year. MJ wanted to keep going but too much of the team has jobs and stuff so we are doing Skype practices now.”

“Sounds reasonable. Then are you here about maybe taking an actual internship here?” Tony asked, wondering if Peter could be nervous about asking for a job. “Pepper needs someone able to get her coffee at inhuman speeds. She gets mean without her caffeine.”

“Um, maybe. I dunno. but, that’s actually not why I’m here today.”

“What bring you here then? Are you in some sort of trouble?”

“No! No, nothing like that, it’s just that, Well you know, it’s, um, Father's’ Day today. And, I know you aren’t actually my dad or anything like that but you have just taught me so much and you have always been there for me and stuff like so I made you this, “ he finish in a rush, pulling a clumsily wrapped package out of his backpack and shoving it into Tony’s hands. 

The wrapping paper was black with a pattern of crossed red and green lightsabers, and for several seconds Tony could only stare at it dumbfounded.

It was enough time for Peter to start backtracking nervously. “It was stupid. Sorry, I shouldn’t have thought… Here I’ll just get rid of it.” he said, reaching to take the package back.

Tony clutched it tightly, taking a step back. “No! I’m sorry, I was surprised that’s all. Thank you,” he said, still unable to look away from the package.

“So, um, did you want to open it?” Peter prompted eventually.

“Oh, of course,” Tony said. Tearing carefully through the paper, he revealed a bright red and gold metal coffee mug. 

Again, Tony could only stare at it, causing Peter to launch into an unnecessary explanation. “It’s a travel cup for your coffee. ‘Cause you know Ms Potts isn’t the only one who needs caffeine. I made it myself. Well, mostly myself. Aunt May helped me pick out the words.”

Tony felt a lump growing in his throat and his eyes stung. He gave himself a mental shake before any tears could fall and looking up at Peter. He said with every ounce of sincerity in his body, “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me. I love it.”

“Ah,” Peter replied, looking just as embarrassed as before but now in a pleased way. “It’s nothing. I’m glad you like it.”

“I do, it’s great. Thanks.” 

When Peter didn’t seem to know what to say back, Tony decided to take pity on the tongue-tied young man. “Hey, I didn’t get any lunch today, you hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat.”

“Great,” Tony said, setting down the mug and starting towards the door. 

“You feel like grabbing a slice, or do you want a sandwich somewhere?”

A lively debate about the relative merits of various food vendors was well underway as the two walked out of the lab. Behind them on a work table sat a crimson and gold cup, etched on its side were the words, “My greatest superpower is being a role model.”


	7. Disabled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Character study of Stephen.  
> Sorry for this.

Deep down, Stephen knew he was disabled. Intellectually, he recognized that the damage to his hands kept him from leading a normal life. That ‘able’ people didn’t make sure to only fill glasses half full so they wouldn’t be too heavy. They weren’t in the habit of asking their pharmacist to open all their med bottles before taking them. They could sign their names for a package.

Yes, there was no question he was disabled. But he hated the label.

And that really what it was, a label: a way to separate you out from all the good and strong people. It reduced you from a person into just your a condition or aliment. It made you less than a person.

He knew, with all the painful clarity of hindsight, that he’d been guilty of the prejudice back in the days before the crash, that everyone had been nothing but the medical problem they posed for him. He wished to go back and apologize to all the people he’d treated as blank tablets to write his own pride and brilliance on. But he couldn’t, anymore than he could make the stupid woman in front of him at the grocery story shut up about how ‘brave’ it was for him to be there, holding a shopping basket full of food in his mangled hands without help. 

He wasn’t brave, or noble, he was hungry. Life didn’t stopped because you were sick or in pain. It moved forward and you had to move with it lest you become your limitations just like the world wanted you too.  
It had taken him a lot of time and the world ending for him to decide he would not be defined by all he couldn’t do. He wouldn't let ‘Disabled’ be his identity, regardless of all the social pressure. 

So, yeah, Stephen hated being called disabled, but just like the tremble in his hands and the weakness of his grasp, he learned to live the way he chose despite it.


End file.
